chicken tractor

[blueheaven]

i am new to the chicken 'business'. i get my pullets in about 6 weeks (10 of them). i am just raising in my 3 1/3 acres in indiana. i am building a chicken tractor (with the help of my father-in-law). i was wondering about predators entering from the bottom. i am putting welded wire all around and at the bottom will be 2/6 boards. since the coop will be on wheels and i need to accomadate for the little space between the wheels and ground (an uneven ground) i was thinking about putting the wire sloped out at the bottom because i cannot bury it into the ground.

any thoughts????

on any other good ideas/suggestions!

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I would use chicken wire across the bottom. By using chicken wire on the bottom, the birds can still get to the grass when it sticks up through the wire, and predators will be kept out.

 

[scogind]

You'll lose the "tractor" part because the chickens won't be able to scratch with the wire on the bottom. Instead you'll just have a cage on wheels. The "tractor" part is what it looks like in your garden when you look where it has been. It looks like someone plowed thru it with a tractor.

 

[blueheaven]

i have thought about putting wire on the bottom, but i agree - they will not be able to scratch.

i did not know if anyone has had troubles with predators getting in from the bottom - even with heavy boards...

 

[scogind]

Attach a strip of 2" x 4" wire the length of the tractor along the outside of the bottom that can swing up for moving and swings down flat on the ground when stationary. The preditor will have to start under the wire that is back 1.5'-2' from the bottom of the tractor/cage bottom. You'll have to raise these sections each time before you move, but it will offer a little more protection from something trying to get under the thing and the chickens will still be able to scratch.

 

[tpotter01]

You may also want to try and rig an electric fence around the bottom as well. The predator will bump into that while digging and be discouraged.